The Spring of the Winter
by Browncoat Gater
Summary: A twist on the original Hunger Games story. There is no volunteering allowed so Prim and Peeta end up in the arena together. Both have convinced themselves that the other is going home. Sorry if anyone else has done something similar to this but this was running in my brain and i had to get it out.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so this is my first Hunger Games based fanfic. This scene started running through my head and I had to get it out. I not quite sure where my brain will go with this or how long it will take so bear with me. This fic is running on the idea that there is no volunteering for reaped tributes. I know some will probably hate that idea but hey this is my story. If you don't like that then don't read it.**

**I in no way have any legal connection to The Hunger Games trilogy/**

* * *

"It's my sister."

Peeta Mellark looks up at soft voice that cuts through the dark. Across from him he sees the soft blue eyes staring back at him. The unexpected comment caught him off guard. "What?"

"The girl you talked about in your interview. The one you have a crush on. It's Katniss. Isn't it?" A small smile crosses Prim's face. "I mean I have seen the way you look at her and..."

"I don't think this is something we should be talking about." He cuts her off. A faint blush creeps across his skin at both the knowledge of having been caught and the fact that the young girl's innocent words have undoubtedly been heard by the entire country including the subject of the conversation.

Silence falls over their camp once again as the regret and heartache that accompany the thought of Katniss Everdeen try to fight their way to the forefront of his mind. He had plenty of opportunities to confess his feelings but never found the courage to do so. Now it was too late. The best he could hope for now was to protect her little sister and make sure she made it through this living hell.

"Promise me that you will take care of her."

Pulled out of his thoughts, Peeta stares at the girl for a moment. "Prim, I already told you..."

"Yeah, I know what you said," She smiles at him again before shaking her head. "but you know as well as I do that there is no way they are going to let a twelve year old win. So it has to be you."

Deep down he knows there is a certain amount of truth to the girls words. In seventy four years the youngest person ever to win the Games was fourteen years old but there is always a first time for everything. "You never know. Finnick Odair was only fourteen when he won."

"I'm no Finnick Odair."

"Don't sell yourself short, Prim." Peeta tells her honestly. "You are smart and pretty and you have a family back home waiting for you."

Prim listens to his words but can't help but detect the small trace of sadness in his voice. "What about you?"

Peeta shakes his head before giving her another small smile. "Nobody needs me."


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I am glad that there are a few out there that like my story so far. I have always been hesitant to write a Hunger Games fanfic because the originals themselves are so fantastic. This story on the other hand will not give my brain a rest even though it itself doesn't quite know what it wants to do. I just want to reassure everyone that despite how these first 2 chapter** **may look this is not going to be a Peeta/Prim pairing. As HogwartsDreamer113 mentioned in their review, Prim is twelve years old and in my book that classifies her as a kid. Yes, a four year age difference in nothing the real world today I simply will not be writing that.**

* * *

_"See that little girl? I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner."_

_Five year old Peeta's eyes turn the direction of his father's pointing finger. Several yards away stands a little girl in a red plaid dress with twin braids dangling down her back. Look back up at his dad, he asks, "A coal miner? Why did she want a coal miner if she could've had you?"_

_"Because when he sings... Even the birds stop to listen."_

_Something in his father's voice, awe maybe, that causes Peeta's eyes to look toward the tall man beside the little girl. Studying the man, he still doesn't quite understand. There isn't anything overly remarkable about the man. He has the same dark hair and dingy coal dust coated appearance that is common among the miners from the Seam. How could someone's singing trump the somewhat more comfortable life as a Merchant?_

_Seeing the confusion on his son's face the older man smiles as he ruffles the young man's hair. "Don't worry. One day when you least expect it you'll understand. Just wait and see."_

Peeta's eyes shoot open at the familiar sound of a cannon. Shit! He was suppose to be standing guard. Fear and panic begin to rise as he quickly turns to scan the campsite behind him. His nerves only begin to settle when he sees the small figure in the dark. He lets out a soft sigh of relief as the girl sits up and gives him a groggy look.

"What happened? Who was it?"

"I don't know." He admits as he turns back to search the woods for any signs of movement. "Guess it just means we have one less person to worry about."

Prim nods silently as she to looks at the forest around them before her eyes settle back on District partner and ally. _How long has it been since he slept?_ Standing up, she makes her way over to him. "You should get some sleep. I can keep watch."

"No," Peeta glances at her a smile grin crosses his face briefly but quickly fades. "I'm good."

She studies him closely before she speak again. The tired lines around his eyes, the way he seems to be leaning on the spear in his hands for support. "No, you're not. You need to sleep." He opens his mouth probably to protest but she doesn't give him a chance. Using his own goal against him may be low but she can think of no other way to get him to see reason. "You say you want to protect me. How will you be able to do that if you wind up weak from exhaustion?"

Peeta frowns down at the young girl who is most definitely years older mentally than her physical age would have everyone believe. "Fine..." He sighs handing her their only weapon. "...but only for a little while. And wake me up if you hear anything. I don't care if you think it might just be an animal. Wake me up, got it?"

"Got it." Prim fails to suppress the small smile that creeps up at his protective tone. A tone that reminds her of Katniss who is undoubtedly waiting for the miracle that will return her baby sister to her unharmed. A miracle that Prim herself knows will never come.

She glances back at Peeta where he settled in sitting against a nearby tree. His eyes are closed and his face relaxed, his body finally giving up its battle against sleep. In the short time that she has known the baker's youngest son, she can see how different he is from most of the merchant kids. He may have that Townie look but so does she and she is from the Seam.

No, Peeta Mellark is something else entirely. He is devoted to protecting a complete stranger knowing that it will cost him his own life. As much as she want to make it out of this nightmare the only way she knows he can truly guarantee her safety would for them both to make it to the final two. There is no way she'd be able to go home and live with herself if she took his life and just the thought of him doing something... Leaves a hollow feeling inside her.

She can't let that happen. As soon as she gets the chance she will strike out on her own. She'd leave now but that would leave Peeta unprotected and vulnerable. _In the morning._ She promises herself as she glances back at him again.

* * *

_"Okay, so who knows the Valley Song?"_

_Peeta barely has the chance to think about how silly of a song it is and wonder why the teacher would even ask who knows it when a small hand shoots up into the air. He recognizes the familiar red plaid dress right away as the teacher motions the girl forward and stands her up on a stool in front of the music assembly._

_"Go ahead, Katniss." The teacher encouraged her with a kind smile. The room was silent as everyone stared at petite girl with her head hung low. Just when Peeta thought she was going to remain quiet he heard the softest, sweetest sound of his short life._

_"Down in the valley, the valley so low _  
_Hang your head over, hear the wind blow _  
_Hear the wind blow, dear, hear the wind blow; _  
_Hang your head over, hear the wind blow. _  
_Roses love sunshine, violets love dew, _  
_Angels in Heaven know I love you, _  
_Know I love you, dear, know I love you, _  
_Angels in Heaven know I love you. _  
_If you don't love me..._

_Peeta is mesmerized by the voice filling his ears. At that moment nothing else mattered, the entire world seemed to freeze and fall away. All at once he realized two things: one, this song wasn't silly and two, a voice like that wins every time._

The low rumble and ache in his stomach, pull Peeta out of his comforting dream and back to reality. He winces against the sunlight that assaults his vision causing him to groan and rub his hands across his face to rub the last of the sleep away. "Prim, I think it is time to move on. Hopefully we can find something edible today." Opening his eyes again his heart sinks, "Prim?"

Jumping to his feet he spins around he eyes raking the area in search of his ally. "Prim, this isn't funny." He says in a lowered but forceful voice. He moves to the spot he left her the night before and stares out into the trees. "Prim, where the hell are you?"

As if on cue, a bloodcurdling scream cuts through the silence. "PEETA!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so here we go again. I'll warn you now I kinda suck a little at righting action so it took some time to work it out in my head. I am really starting to have fun writing this and seeing where my brain is taking me.** **So far there have only been a few reviews but that's okay, keep them coming. I welcome any sort of constructive criticism so feel free to review or PM me.**

**You will notice that with the addition of this chapter the story's rating has taken a slight jump. This is a safety measure**.

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"PEETA!"

"PRIM!" Peeta spins in a circle trying to figure out from which direction the girl's scream came from. The big problem with this forest is that every sound seems to jump around and echo. He starts moving quickly in what seems to be the only logical direction, deeper into the woods. "PRIM!"

He barely makes it a few yards before another heart-wrenching scream rings out. This time it is definitely farther away. _Fuck!_ Without a second thought he turns around, Peeta takes off running back the way he came. _Why would she go back toward the Cornucopia?_

Peeta knows that he is most likely being lead into a trap and should slow down but adrenaline fueling his instincts and overwhelming his common sense. _You can't help her if you are dead._ He begins to slow down as the trees thin out around him. He stops at edge of the tree line being sure to keep himself hidden.

In the open area surrounding the Cornucopia are the other three remaining tributes. With her hands and feet bound together, Prim sits on the ground. The other two who by some strange coincidence are the pair from District 2 are standing nearby and are clearly having a disagreement about their captive.

"We should just kill her now, Cato."

"No," Cato glares coldly at his district partner. "We need her to get the baker boy here."

"I already told you that I would find him. You're just mad because I did away with your pretty blond plaything." Clove shoots back. "But it had to be done. That and she was getting on my nerves."

"You're right. It had to be done and so does this." Cato glances over at the young girl on the ground before quickly turning back and thrusting the blade of the sword in his hand deep into the chest of his last ally. He gets a smug look at her shocked expression as the life leaves her eyes and her body crumples to the ground. Cato smirks at Prim as sound of the cannon echoes overhead. "And then there were three."

From his place in the trees, Peeta watches the sudden turn of events. Cato's latest kill evened the odds. All he has to do now is take out the other boy and Prim's ticket home was a sure thing. He takes a deep breath to steady the series of emotions beginning to rise inside him before stepping out into the open.

Cato catches the movement out of the corner of his eye. "It's about time you got here. Welcome to the party."

Peeta takes slow cautious steps forward keeping his attention on the armed killer. "Yeah sorry, my invite got lost." His eye's dart between Prim and Cato. "How about you let the kid go..."

"Nah, that's not how it works." The career tribute shakes his head. "Only one of us gets out." He looks at his captive for a moment before turning toward Peeta. "Do you really think the people of Panem are cheering for you or her?" He points his sword back at Prim. "It's surprising you both made it this far. Dumb luck. I mean look at your mentor, he is a joke. Your whole district is a joke."

Peeta shrugs keeping a look of indifference on his face. Cato's words are nothing he hasn't heard before, some he has even said himself. "You planning on talking us to death."

"No, I plan on killing you with this. Don't worry, I'll make it nice and quick." Cato holds his sword out in front of him causing Peeta to stop moving. "Her on the other hand..." He turns his head toward Prim, "I think I am going to have a little fun with her before I kill her."

The meaning behind his words causes Peeta's control to break. He lunges forward taking the other boy momentarily off guard and grabbing his arm with both hands. After years of working in the bakery he has built a great deal of upper body strength which allows him to keep Cato's arm from swinging the sword at him. He was hoping to be able to use brute force to disarm his opponent.

Behind the pair, Prim has managed to work loose the knot on the rope around her ankles. Once her legs are free she clumsily crawls over to where Clove's body still lies because they are all still too close for the hovercraft to come retrieve it. Rooting through the dead girl's jacket, she pulls out one the many knives inside and begins the difficult task of trying to cut the rope keeping her hands bound together.

It takes Cato a second to recover from the surprise attack. Unable to attack with his sword, he uses his off hand to land a punch on Peeta's unprotected side. He lets out a grunt but his hands continue to hold tight so Cato follows up a hard kick to his knee. This has the desired effect of knocking loose Peeta's grip as he stumbles back. Lunging forward, Cato stabs the tip of the sword into the other boy's side cause him fall to the ground with a painful yell. Cato grins sinisterly as he watches the blood seep through Peeta's fingers as he holds his hands against his wound.

"You got guts, I'll give you that. Too bad that's not enough to save you." Cato lifts his sword to take his final blow when all of a sudden he feels a sharp stab in the center of his back. He lets out a yell as he spins around to take a swipe at his assailant only to have her duck out of the way. Using her knowledge of biology, Prim jams the knife in her hand up into the his thigh severing his femoral artery.

"You bitch..." Cato growls as his leg gives out and he falls to his knees. With the last bit of strength that he can muster he jumps toward her and manages to sink his sword deep into her stomach before he passes out.

"No!" Peeta watches the fight happening in front but it is over before there is anything he can do. A cannon goes off as he crawls over to where Prim now lies still. "Prim..." He lifts her head into his lap and brushes the blond hair away from her face. "Come on, Prim. Wake up."

"Peeta...?" Her eyes open and look up to meet his. "You have to take care of her. She's...she's not going to want you to but you have to."

"Prim, no... you're gonna be okay."

Prim gives him a small smile even as she winces against the pain. Tears roll down her cheeks as she meets his gaze again. "Promise me, Peeta. Promise me you'll take care of her. Please..."

"Okay, I promise..." Peeta can feel his own tears fall as he watches the light fade from her young eyes. The sound of the cannon echos loudly in his ears as he whispers a final goodbye, "I promise, Prim."


End file.
